The Specialist, known in certain circles as Rocker Nutley Bugspray, said that she was willing to bet that recurring nightmares about my mother would recede, then fade, shortly after Mom's death almost two years ago. ...

Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno. Punk Planet Books (an imprint of Akashic Books), 2004, 270 pages, $13.95 FROM THE COVER: The riotous exploits of a Catholic school malcontent and a punk rock girl ...

The four members of the Four Kings attended Point Loma High when they got some unexpected attention in 2003. Singer/guitarist Andrew Bent says, "A friend of a friend told us that he really liked our ...

Anne Tropeano, manager for San Diego roots rockers Tapwater, recounts a stroke of good luck the band had while on a recent five-month tour: "We were touring through Georgia and someone recommended a booking agency ...

One of the unwritten rules of theater: never let the audience get ahead of the story. If they can anticipate where you're going, you've lost them. Coughing bouts break out. Programs crackle. Chins nestle on ...

Although it slices only six miles inland from the Pacific shoreline, Zuma Canyon harbors one of the deepest gorges in the Santa Monica Mountains -- and it has the further distinction of never having suffered ...

Bernice's mom has diabetes. My friend began to take on the care of her mother's household -- shopping and cleaning. "Her feet hurt," said Bernice on the phone, "she has become more sedentary, and I ...

Nearly everything about East Clairemont Southern Baptist's church was unabashedly midcentury Modern, from the rust-orange carpet and pew cushions to the rough-face concrete block to the space-age chandeliers to the quarter-circle shape of the place, ...

The noose is tightening around Marty Schottenheimer's neck, even though the Chargers have retained his services for next season. According to some howling fans and nitpicking sportswriters, the Chargers coach chokes in playoff games. His ...

Freshman San Diego city councilman Kevin Faulconer -- a close ally of Mayor Jerry Sanders -- is in the clear regarding a vote he cast January 9 to advance Doug Manchester's Navy Broadway Complex plans. ...

The impending sale of the Copley newspapers in Ohio and Illinois has inspired some to reminisce about how the chain came to be in the first place. One interesting reference comes from Time magazine's April ...

Democratic state assemblywoman Lori Saldaña was along for the ride on a lavish two-week postelection junket through South America that is causing big static in L.A. Paid for by an outfit called the California Foundation ...